Macario Pascual,
born November 26, 1956 immigrated to Hawaii at the age of
five with his mother. They joined his father who came earlier
to work for the sugar plantation. At the age of thirteen,
he became the first and youngest recipient of the Lahaina
Arts Society Art Scholarship. In 1974, he was awarded his
first solo exhibition by the Society while still a senior
in high school. From 1974 to 1979, Pascual studied art at
the University of Hawaii on an art and tennis scholarship,
graduating with a BFA degree in design.

Over
the years, Pascual has become well known in the islands for
his series of paintings of Hawaii's plantations, its workers
and the surrounding landscape. His understanding and sensitivity
to the media and the subject has led to solo exhibitions and
important commissions, among them the State of Hawaii, Alexander
and Baldwin, Inc. for their

Centennial in 1982,
and recently, Ihilani Resorts and Fletcher Pacific Construction
of Honolulu. On Maui, he created the painting for Tedeshi Vineyard's
"Plantation Red" wine label.

His work has also been accepted in juried
shows winning awards on the regional and national level. His
painting, "Hana Ko IV", received the top award in
the oil painting category in the prestigious National Exhibition
of Contemporary Realism in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1983
one of his original oils was one of the 68 pieces from 2600
entries selected for inclusion in the Chautaugua National Exhibition
of American Art in New York. Pascual was among seventeen artists
from across the country invited to participate in a group show
in San Francisco, sponsored by the Art Programs Inc., The Equitable
Life Assurance Society and the Southern Pacific Land Company.

He participated in an international group exhibition at the Linekona Art Center of the Honolulu Art Academy. Pascual paintings have graced the cover of several magazines and he has been recognized by print and television media for his work, including the book, "Artists of Maui", and "Spectrum" shown on Hawaii Public Television.

His paintings are in the collection of the State Foundation of Culture and the Arts and the City and County of Honolulu and in the office of Governor Ben Cayetano. Corporate and private collections include Alexander and Baldwin, Inc., Baldwin Pacific Corporation, Fletcher Pacific Construction, U. S. Senator Daniel Inouye, Ihilani Resorts, Malcolm MacNaughton (former ceo of Castle and Cooke), and many others here and abroad.

Artist's Statement… "Subject
matter and the use of light are important elements of my
work. Many of my paintings are drawn from personal experiences
as well as history. For years now, I've taken a special
interest in the immigrants to Hawaii's plantations, depicting
their work and life. By letting these ideas evolve into
new works I hope to capture the essence of the plantations
in Hawaii. Furthermore, working in a series format has enabled
me to refine and expand my ideas in several related directions
- the texture and pattern of Hawaii's agricultural fields
and landscapes, the designs and unique character of local
homes, and recently, working with figures in water and light."

Artist Statement About "Sweet Cane" I decided to take a different tact with "The Harvester" and went something a bit more nostalgic for me. I decided to depict rather than thegreen cane, went for the red or purple variety instead. It was more suitable for direct consumption than its green counterpart. That one was more for harvesting for the mill.
When I was young, like all of the plantation families, we didn't have a whole lot of money especially for treats like candy and soda pop. But we didn't care, we had our own kind of candy and it didn't cost us anything. In lieu of sweets from the store, we were treated to sugar cane.

In this painting, a worker will cut the red cane stalks into smaller pieces and remove the smooth bark. Either cut into smaller chunks, or as is,
we just chewed and sucked out the juices until only the fibers remain. We discarded it, got another piece and so on..The good old days.:)

"Big Valley", 36" x 48", Oil

PASCUAL WINS BEST IN SHOW
Maui artist, Macario Pascual, recently won BEST IN SHOW in one of two national plein air events on the mainland- The 2013 Mendocino Open
Paint Out and 2013 Sonoma Plein Air. He won the award at the Mendocino Open Paint Out that was held in Northern California September 9 - 14, 2013.
The award was worth $3000 in prizes and cash for his winning painting, an oil entitled, "In the Mood". His selection distinguished himself among the 78
artists competing from around the country in MOPO. Among those participating at this venue included several highly regarded artists like
Clark Mitchell, Michael Gibbons, Dennis Zimenski, Camille Perzewodek, and Juan Pena.

The following week at the Sonoma Plein Air, Pascual garnered a few votes for his painting, "Sonoma Valley Blues" for ARTISTS CHOICE, the top
prize at this nationally juried event. The winning piece was won by Sergio Lopez, a talented young artist from Santa Rosa, who earlier also competed
at the MOPO with Pascual. SPA is considered one of the toughest events to be selected for in the country and is limited to 35 artists. This was Pascual's first
entry into both the MOPO and SPA competition.

Pascual says, " The experience from this trip was everything I was hoping for. All of my goals were realized.
I painted California and it's famed coastline along Highway One, where some of the best early California works in Impressionism and Tonalism were created.
Painting conditions in Mendocino and Sonoma were of contrasts in light and color. In Mendocino, there were more greys and soft light
whereas, Sonoma was filled with HiDef like clarity of light and colors. It provided painting opportunities in all kinds of weather and time from fog, rain, cloudy,
hazy days to sunrises, sunsets and moonlit evenings. I got to meet and paint with some of this country's upcoming and established painters.

In all, I did 20 plus paintings. Winning Best In Show was a thrill- I just wanted to have fun and do my best."

Pascual's work ethic and dedication to his art continues to payoff with positive results. Earlier in the year, Pascual works have been accepted in two national
juried shows with exhibitions in Colorado and Michigan.

Lynn Shue, Village Galleries… “Probably no other Maui artist is so aware of documenting his culture and how it is an integral part of his life as Macario Pascual. His paintings bring Plantation Life brilliantly back to life through his lovely sensitive oils of Maui landscape with sugar cane workers. His handling of delicate atmospheric nuances make you catch your breath. Macario seems to see more than most when he paints his spellbinding oils of Maui's rugged landscape. His ability to capture the light and atmosphere of his subjects certainly conveys his love for Maui. Representing Macario (for over twenty-five years now) continues to be a great pleasure. His annual show is always a highlight of our season.”